As summer draws to a close, I am forced to think more and more about the start of school whether I like it or not. I don't want to think about coming home and grading papers, writing lesson plans, or just passing out at 8 pm because I'm so tired. However, the more I think about the start of this year, the more excited I get. Yes, I'm actually excited about this school year. There are several things I love about teaching besides having the summers off.

1) Being a self-contained teacher, I can probably count on my hands the number of minutes I have to (oh, I mean, get to) see my coworkers.  This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Considering that most people can't stand their co-workers and that's all they gripe about, I'd say it's a good thing. I don't have to put up with gossip unless I want to.
2) I get to enjoy a quiet picnic lunch outside any day I want. And if I hurry, I can zoom to Dairy Queen, grab a burger, and be back in time to pick up the kids. I've even been known to drive to Momma Mary's and enjoy lunch with her (and her sisters sometimes). However, I don't know if I can drive as fast as Suzy could to pull that off by myself! : )
3) What other job gets to start fresh each year? I get a new group of kids that I get to be "mom" to for 178 days every year.
4) If that's not cool enough, I get to see those kids grow and mature during fifth grade, and then leave for bigger and better things in junior high. I love seeing my kids around town and having them tell me hi!  I don't hang out in Baytown often, so it's even more special when I do see them.
5) And best of all, I love seeing a smile on a kid's face when they realize they are awesome at something or finally "get it!"

This summer has been great! I've finally been able to enjoy a few weeks of doing absolutely nothing. Although I could get used to this, I know life must go on. There are many exciting things to look forward to this year, even though it's more than half way over.

I decided yesterday to do a Dr. Seuss theme in my classroom, instead of a Lego one, to better fit our school theme. I was trying to find an inspirational quote to end with, but I found this one first and this better fits my life and family (I have no idea what book it's from...I just googled Dr. Seuss quotes. It may not even be from him but I like it!):

“In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!” -Dr. Seuss